Governor Kim Reynolds today said she and her staff “spent a lot of time” developing her plan for trimming nearly $30 million out of the current year’s budget — and she’s ready to negotiate with her fellow Republicans in the Iowa Senate over a plan that would cut more than $20 million deeper.

“It’s part of the process,” Reynolds told reporters this morning during her weekly news conference. “We’ve been working on this a lot longer than they have. We’ll continue to work through it and we’ll do that with both the House and the Senate and hopefully we’ll get to a responsible place.”

Reynolds is not criticizing any of the specific cuts Republicans in the Senate propose, like more than $24 million in cuts to the state universities and community colleges. The Senate Republicans recommend a cut in the state’s court system that’s three times as much as the governor recommended, prompting court officials to warn court operations in 30 county courthouses would be suspended “indefinitely” if that deep a cut is approved. Reynolds said that “would have an impact” on “access to justice” in Iowa.

“I think there’s ways that we can respect some of the things that are really important to them by really reducing the impact on Iowans and services,” Reynolds said. “And so that’s the conversation that we’ll have moving forward.”

Reynolds said Iowans expect state officials to be “fiscally responsible” and “there is a way” to make budget cuts without major disruptions in state services.

The Senate Republicans’ plan for cutting the current year’s budget cleared a committee last week and is ready for debate in the full senate. House Republicans have not yet unveiled their budget-cutting priorities.

The president of the Iowa Senate is hinting Republicans are ready to end state payments to cities and counties that were promised to make up for expected lost tax revenue.

The state payments began after the legislature voted in 2013 to roll back commercial property tax rates. Senate President Jack Whitver, a Republican from Ankeny, says $150 million in state tax dollars will be forwarded to cities and counties in the current year — but next year’s payments are up for debate.

“I believe there’s general agreement in the legislature that we don’t want to touch that for the current fiscal year,” Whitver says. “Those cities and counties have already certified their budgets. It would be very difficult for them to go back and change that, but I believe they should be on the table for the next few years.”

The 2013 property tax changes approved by Republican Governor Terry Branstad, the Republican-led Iowa House and Democratically controlled Iowa Senate not only reduced commercial property tax assessments by 10 percent, property taxes for apartments were reduced as well. City officials say the state payments are not compensating for lost tax revenue — and if the state payments end they’ll be forced to cut city services.

Whitver and other Republican leaders argue cities have benefitted from the legislature’s move to reduce property taxes five years ago.

“Many places around the state have seen tremendous growth since then both with assessments and with new buildings and so I believe we should look at phasing that out over time,” Whitver says. “…We obviously don’t want to do something that’s harmful, but ultimately that’s $150 million that we’re paying to the cities and counties that we’d like to phase out. I’d like to phase out.”

In December, Governor Kim Reynolds said she wants to bring city and county officials into the negotiations over if and when the payments from the state end.

Whitver made his comments during a weekend appearance on Iowa Public Television’s “Iowa Press” program.

The president of the Iowa Senate says it may not be possible to sell the state-owned Iowa Communications Network — because no private-sector buyer wants it. Nearly 30 years ago, the legislature authorized construction of a state-owned fiber optics network to provide video and data connections for schools and state government.

Senator Jack Whitver, a Republican from Ankeny, says it may be time to pull the plug on the network.

“Right now, we’re mandating certain entities to buy coverage from the ICN at a rate that is higher than the market rate and so I don’t think that’s a good way to do business in the 21st century,” Whitver says. “I mean, frankly, the days of sitting in an ICN room like when I was a kid in Grinnell — those days are over. You pull up your phone now and you have FaceTime Live and so the world has changed and government needs to adapt to it.”

Whitver, who was elected to the Iowa Senate in 2011, has been an advocate of selling the network.

“One of my first years in the legislature, we voted to try to sell the ICN,” Whitver says. “That was unsuccessful, but there obviously need to be changes there.”

A recent audit found $380,000 of questionable spending at the Iowa Communications Network. It included the revelation that some state-purchased equipment had been delivered to the home of the network’s manager, who was fired early this month. Whitver says it may be time now for the state’s chief information officer to take over as manager of the network. As for selling the network itself, that’s tricky as there was an attempt four years ago to lease segments of the network to private-sector companies.

“We put it up for sale and we did not get a bid,” Whitver says.

Whitver says that could be a signal it’s time to just shut the network down. Whitver made his comments today during taping of Iowa Public Television’s “Iowa Press” program which airs tonight at 7:30.

Republicans in the Senate have drafted a bill that would pare about $52 million out of the current year’s state budget. It includes nearly $25 million in cuts to the three state universities and 15 community colleges.

“Families find ways to make things work. That’s what I learned through the recession and that’s what thousands of my co-workers learned through the recession as well,” Schneider says. “And I also learned that those same families expect government to live within its means, too.”

Senator Joe Bolkcom, a Democrat from Iowa City, says the cuts are necessary because former Republican Governor Terry Branstad failed to fulfill his promise to create 200,000 jobs and raise family incomes by 25 percent.

“Republicans like to talk about how they are doing this to Iowans because they are the adults in the room. That’s nonsense,” Bolkcom says. “Iowa families don’t manage their family budgets like this. If they did, they would be in bankruptcy.”

There are a little more than five months left in the current year’s state budget plan. Bolkcom says the nearly $20 million in cuts to the University of Iowa, Iowa State and the University of Northern Iowa will lead to higher tuition for students.

“When you have a bunch of people that don’t like government running government, here’s what the results look like and it’s not pretty,” Bolkcom says.

The Senate GOP’s plan does take into account about $12 million in extra tax revenue officials expect in the state treasury due to recent federal tax changes. Schneider, the Republican chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, says the overall plan provides a “cushion” of about one-half-of-one-percent of total spending, just in case state tax revenues continue to fall below expectations.

“We want to make sure that we’re being fiscally responsible with taxpayers money,” Schneider says. “We want to make sure we’re complying with Iowa law which requires us to pass a balanced budget each year.”

The Senate GOP’s plan cuts more deeply than Republican Governor Kim Reynolds proposed. Schneider says lawmakers want to make sure there’s no need to dip into cash reserves this summer to cover red ink in the state budget, something Reynolds had to do last year.

The budget-cutting proposal will be debated in a senate committee late this afternoon.

Democrats in the Iowa legislature gathered this morning to “reinforce” for voters the proposals in their “Putting Iowans First” agenda.

“It’s time to say, ‘Goodbye,’ to the backroom deals, bickering and corporate tax give-aways that have infected our politics today,” House Democratic Leader Mark Smith of Marshalltown said to open a statehouse news conference.

Smith said stagnant wages and fewer state tax dollars for education are hurting “everyday” Iowans.

Republicans hold a majority of seats in both the Iowa Senate and House, giving the GOP control over the legislature’s agenda last year and again this year. Democrats like Senator Petersen say their alternative agenda includes things like sending more state money into schools and finding ways to expand broadband access to rural areas.

“I think Iowans want to know what Democrats stand for and want to see a positive agenda,” Petersen said. “If you look at the growth agenda Republicans are touting, the first bill out of the shoot in the Iowa Senate is a massive budget cut, programs and services that Iowans depend on.”

This afternoon, a Senate committee will review a GOP plan to cut 52 million dollars from the current year’s state budget. The cuts take into account lower-than-projected state tax revenue and leave a “cushion” of several million dollars if state tax receipts continue to fall below expectations between now and June 30.

Republicans in the Iowa Senate have unveiled $52 million in proposed state budget cuts for the final five months of the state budgeting year.

The cuts for the state universities. community colleges and courts are deeper than Republican Governor Kim Reynolds recommended earlier this month.

Republicans in the Iowa House have not yet revealed their plan.

Senator Charles Schneider, a Republican from West Des Moines, said with state tax collections lagging below expectations, the cuts are necessary to avoid a deficit.

“According to Iowa law, we have to balance our budget and this requires us to make some adjustments to our budget…for the current fiscal year,” Schneider said during a Senate Appropriations Committee meeting Thursday afternoon. “Our goal has been to do so in a way that’s fiscally responsible and that reflects the values that we, as Iowans, all hold most dear.”

The Senate GOP plan does not cut state payments to K-12 public schools, but it would force the three state universities to make what the executive director of the Regents system calls “severe” and disruptive cuts during the current semester.

Senator Joe Bolkcom, a Democrat, represents Iowa City, which is home to the University of Iowa.

“I don’t think there’s any doubt that with $19.2 million of proposed cuts to the public universities (and) another $5.4 million in cuts to our fine community colleges that tuition for every college kid and family is going to go up next year,” Bolkcom said.

The Senate GOP plan also calls for $3.4 million in cuts to the budgets at state prisons and $4.8 million cut to the state’s court system. A spokesman for the state judicial branch says a cut of that magnitude will lead to the closure of 30 county courthouses and the closures will be “indefinite.” Criminal and civil cases in those counties would be shifted to other courts.

The Iowa Senate had a heated debate Wednesday about the water quality bill Governor Kim Reynolds has pledged to sign into law. A bill that passed the Republican-led Senate last year got final legislative approval in the Iowa House on Tuesday.

Senator Rob Hogg, a Democrat from Cedar Rapids, said the bill fails to target the state money to where it would do the most good and fails to restart the state’s water monitoring program.

“It is a façade. It is not a bill that helps water quality in this state…There is no monitoring, reporting or accountability,” Hogg said yesterday. “If you don’t measure it, you don’t really care about it.”

Senator Jerry Behn, a Republican from Boone, said he’s using conservation tillage practices on his farm.

“The Iowa Soybean Association right now has been monitoring my tile, just exactly to find out what’s good coming out of that stuff, so don’t tell me that I’m not monitoring because I don’t care, “Behn replied. “We are monitoring because we do care.”

Senator David Johnson of Ocheyedan, the lone independent in the legislature, said the bill was “bought and paid for by the Farm Bureau.”

“You know I could spit in the Little Sioux River in Spencer and think I made an impact,” Johnson said. “…This isn’t a water quality bill. It falls far short of what this state needs.”

Senator Randy Feenstra, a Republican from Hull who’s a banker, accused Johnson and other critics of “tramping” on farmers.

“Farmers are good people and the ag economy, it’s the number one economy we have in this state and so I’m standing up here,” Feenstra said. “I’m standing up for the farmers.”

The debate among these legislators happened during a daily “points of personal privilege” period when senators may ask for time to speak on any topic.

The bill’s backers say it will provide $286 million for water quality projects over the next 12 years. However, there’s just a $4 million allotment for next year. Iowa Ag Secretary Bill Northey expects most of that will be used as incentives to farmers for “edge of field” projects that prevent run-off from cropland.

“That’s the bio-reactors, saturated buffers, nutrient-reduction wetlands,” Northey said during an interview.

Northey told a legislative committee he expects the $4 million in state money to leverage far more in federal funds along with the investments from landowners. As for measuring how voluntary nutrient management is working on farms, Northey said in “a big state with billions of gallons of water moving all the time,” it’s hard to chart progress at “scores” of locations.

All 20 Democrats and the independent in the Iowa Senate are co-sponsoring legislation that would make state employees financially responsible if their actions lead to a legal payout for wrongdoing or bad behavior in the workplace.

The bill is a response to the $1.75 million legal settlement the State of Iowa paid to a former staffer for Senate Republicans who filed a sexual harassment lawsuit. Senator Tod Bowman, a Democrat from Maquoketa, says legislators need to learn from the mistakes that were made and make changes.

“Iowa taxpayers, my constituents are disgusted with the fact that they’re on the hook for the damages, the dollars that have been (awarded) for this,” Bowman says. “They don’t despise Kirsten Anderson for seeking action, justice…We need better examples by public officials.”

The legislation faces an uphill battle in the Senate, as it would require support from at least five Republicans to pass and no Republican has signed on to co-sponsor it.

The bill Bowman and 20 other senators are sponsoring would have the state immediately pay any damages ordered by a court or awarded through a settlement due to a state employee’s misconduct. The state attorney general would then be required to try to recoup the money from the employee or employees responsible. Bowman says “it’s sad” this is something legislators have to deal with.

“It should be common sense that we all behave in a professional manner,” Bowman says.

The bill would not apply retroactively to the settlement for former Senate staffer Kirsten Anderson. It would apply in future cases involving state employees who allege workplace harassment as well as discrimination based on their race, age, religion, gender or disability.

The federal government is back in business this morning as an agreement was reached on a temporary spending bill late Monday.

Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley says the next few weeks will be focused on finding a compromise on immigration. Grassley says it’s more than just DACA, the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, which was enacted during the Obama administration.

“Let me give you the four pillars of a possible compromise,” Grassley says, “One, DACA kids. Number two, border security. Number three, ending chain migration. And number four, doing away with diversity visas.”

The spending bill that passed Monday will only keep the government running for three weeks and Grassley says he’s optimistic an agreement can be reached before February 8th. “I believe that we can accomplish all of this in a way that gets broad support in Congress and something that the president will sign,” Grassley says. “So, we will continue our negotiations with these goals in mind.”

Grassley, a Republican, makes it clear who he believes is to blame for the three-day closure of all nonessential federal offices and services, which took effect at midnight last Friday.

“The government’s open, up and running,” Grassley says. “The Democrats shut it down and I think they lost ground for doing it. Maybe for that reason, it won’t happen again, at least in the near future.” Grassley says immigration isn’t the only issue that remains a sticking point between the parties.

Grassley says, “More money for defense has broad bipartisan support, but there’s mostly Democrats that feel, ‘Well, if you spend one more dollar on defense, then we need to spend one more dollar on domestic programs.'” Grassley says defense is the number-one responsibility of the federal government, so he doesn’t “buy in” to the dollar-for-dollar argument.

Iowa Congressman Dave Loebsack, a Democrat, released the following statement after the House vote to reopen the government:
“The shutdown is the result of one thing: the inability to compromise. This whole disaster shows just how broken Washington really is. While I remain deeply skeptical that today’s agreement will actually lead to the change that is needed, it at least provides a framework to begin dealing with issues Iowans tell me they want addressed.”

Iowa Congressman David Young, a Republican released this statement: “I’m pleased the government shutdown is ending and the people’s government is getting back to serving Iowans and providing the longest extension of the Children’s Health Insurance Program ever. Congress must pass a long-term funding bill and end the short stop-gap funding patches which harm our national security and give economic instability.”

The Iowa House has sent the governor a bill that will provide an estimated $286 million over the next 12 years for projects designed to improve water quality. The bill got the support of nearly all Republicans and four Democrats in the House.

The vote is the partial resolution of a three-year-long debate among state policymakers seeking a consistent source of money to clean up Iowa lakes and waterways and improve city water treatment facilities. Republican Representative John Wills of Spirit Lake has worked as a water quality coordinator in the Great Lakes region for two decades.

“I think this is a good bill. It’s a good, long-term, sustainable funding source for water quality, something that we have not had in the state Iowa,” Wills told reporters before the debate began. “It’s something that, in the absence of anything else, is an awesome step up and it’s the beginning conversation of future conversations.”

Governor Reynolds is expected to sign the bill — the first piece of legislation she’s signed into law as governor. Next year, because of this bill, the state will spend about $4 million more on water quality projects. Critics say that’s not enough and there’s not enough accountability in the legislation to ensure the projects financed are leading to improved water quality. Representative Chip Baltimore of Boone was among the four Republicans who voted no.

“I don’t know about all of you, but I did not come down here to check a box,” Baltimore said, “and just because the words ‘water quality’ are in the title of a bill does not make me proud to vote for it so that I can put it on a postcard when I go campaign.”

Representative Art Staed, a Democrat from Cedar Rapids, said Iowans want action on water quality, but this bill doesn’t provide much.

“We have more than 700 waterways that are polluted in this state. What will this bill do to turn that around? No one know,” Staed said. “This is a trickle in the bucket — a trickle.”

Wills, the Republican who guided the bill through the House today, said there’s already a bill draft addressing those issues.

“I’m absolutely 100 percent confident,” Wills said. “I’ve got a bill in the works that will continue the conversation for this year already. I’ve had conversations with the governor. I’ve had conversations with the senate and leadership in the House and we’re all committed to the fact that we’re going to continue this conversation and move it forward.”

The water quality plan approved today by the House immediately uses metered water fees and eventually will use gambling taxes currently now being used to pay off state bonds.

The Republicans who voted against the measure were Baltimore, Mary Ann Hanusa of Council Bluffs, Jake Highfill of Johnston and Guy Vander Linden of Oskaloosa. The Democrats in the House who voted for it were Bruce Bearinger of Oelwein, Helen Miller of Fort Dodge, Scott Ourth of Ackworth and Todd Prichard of Charles City.